chapter 46
Jiang Li was distracted.
All of a sudden, the Train started moving!
“Dear passengers, the Train control panel has been repaired, and we are now able to operate normally.
However, wild animals may still be present on the Train outside the Dining Car.
For your safety, please do not attempt to open the Carriage doors. Thank you for your cooperation!”
The female Announcer’s voice came over the broadcast.
Jiang Li suddenly remembered she was supposed to make sure the Key Figure got off safely, so she asked,
“Liang Jie, which stop are you getting off at?”
Liang Jie was propping his chin up, staring out the window.
When he heard Jiang Li’s question, he turned back to her, his eyes glinting, lips curved in a half-smile. “Guess.”
“If you guess right, I’ll tell you,” said Liang Jie.
Jiang Li felt a wave of exasperation at his answer.
“Emmm…”
Did she really look like someone who liked to joke around?
Xia Xiaoqiang, sitting nearby, jumped in to help: “He’s getting off at Qing City, same as me. I heard the Train Attendant say so when checking tickets.”
His destination exposed, Liang Jie just muttered, “Not fun.”
Then he turned away again, gazing out the window.
“Qing City… how far is that from the terminal? What time was it supposed to arrive?” Jiang Li asked Xia Xiaoqiang.
Xia Xiaoqiang answered honestly, “Not far from the terminal, it’s the second-to-last stop. The ticket says 9 a.m. tomorrow.”
Jiang Li nodded, her mind quickly working through the plan.
So, she needed to make sure the Key Figure Liang Jie survived until 9 a.m. tomorrow.
The terminal, Fenling, would arrive at 10 a.m.
Which meant, after sending Liang Jie off, she’d have one hour to find that child alone and confront him face-to-face.
Ideally, she’d kill the child and eliminate the Pollution Source.
But if Jiang Li couldn’t find the kid, as long as she could survive alone until Fenling and get off, she’d still clear the scenario.
Her clearance rating just wouldn’t be as high.
While she was lost in thought, the broadcast suddenly played a child’s voice.
A child began singing a lilting Nursery Rhyme.
Again… “Mud Doll”!
So this was what the Administrator called “listening to music”?
Train Rules, Article Five:
[At any time, if a child singing a Nursery Rhyme appears, immediately lower your head and cover your ears.]
Jiang Li hurriedly lowered her head and covered her ears.
Seeing this, Xia Xiaoqiang quickly followed her lead.
But this time, the child’s resentment seemed especially heavy!
It was as if he was venting his anger at the malicious survivors left in the Dining Car.
The singing grew louder and louder, so loud that covering their ears couldn’t block it out.
Jiang Li could already feel her ears changing, and disgusting bumps kept appearing in the palms of her hands.
If this kept up, it wouldn’t just be her-the entire Train would be polluted.
Let alone surviving until tomorrow, even making it through today would be tough!
From the Kitchen of the Dining Car, the sound of knife sharpening kept echoing.
Had they really been sharpening the knives all this time, just waiting until everyone was fully polluted before slaughtering them?
Jiang Li’s eyes turned cold. She looked at Xia Xiaoqiang. “Is the Large Machete still here? Lend it to me.”
Xia Xiaoqiang handed her the one-meter-long Large Machete. “Sis, what are you planning to do?”
While the other three at the table looked on in confusion, Jiang Li, face dark, hefted the Large Machete and walked over to the broadcast at the Carriage door.
She raised the blade and hacked at it!
With a few bangs, the Nursery Rhyme in the broadcast came to an abrupt halt.
Jiang Li’s action left all the Survivors in shock.
Some people stared in blank disbelief.
This girl didn’t want to listen to music-she just smashed the broadcast.
The nearby Staff Members all stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Jiang Li.
Xia Xiaoqiang was startled and hurried over to grab Jiang Li.
In a low voice, she said, “Sis! Are you crazy?! You just smashed their stuff. Aren’t you afraid they’ll kill you…?”
Jiang Li lifted her eyelids and glanced at the Staff Members, who seemed to be watching the show. “They won’t.”
“The ways Survivors die are all written in the rules. Smashing the broadcast doesn’t break any rules.”
Jiang Li explained.
As expected, those Staff Members only glanced at Jiang Li a few times before burying themselves back in their work.
These people were nothing more than NPCs.
Dealing with those who broke the rules was their job.
But if no rules were broken and someone was simply acting crazy, it was none of their concern.
Jiang Li walked back with her knife.
Now, the sound of sharpening knives in the Kitchen had stopped.
Was it because there were no fresh ingredients left? Jiang Li sneered.
Jiang Li returned to her Seat and took out two cups of Honey Water, handing one to Xia Xiaoqiang and keeping one for herself.
Both she and Xia Xiaoqiang had a rather high Pollution Level.
However, Liang Jie, who was sitting across from her, seemed completely unaffected.
Liang Jie saw Jiang Li smash the broadcast but didn’t react much.
He just turned to look at Jiang Li, his clear eyes curving as he flashed a row of neat white teeth:
“Don’t like the music on the broadcast? I have songs in my headphones. Pick one you like.”
Liang Jie’s fair fingers removed the right wireless earbud and handed it to Jiang Li.
Jiang Li didn’t reach out to take it. “No need.”
Liang Jie smiled at Jiang Li, took back the earbud, and put it back in his ear.
The next few hours passed peacefully before nightfall.
When it was time for dinner-
Wang Qiang used his Points to exchange for a serving of Braised Pork Trotter Rice.
But Jiang Li and Xia Xiaoqiang didn’t eat anything.
That was because the food in Xia Xiaoqiang’s bag had already run out at noon.
Xia Xiaoqiang rummaged for a while and finally found the only chicken sausage in the inner pocket of her backpack.
She handed it to Jiang Li. “Sis, you eat it. I’m not that hungry yet.”
Both Jiang Li’s and Xia Xiaoqiang’s stomachs growled at the same time.
In the end, Jiang Li thought for a moment, broke the sausage in half, and each of them ate half.
Wang Qiang, sitting across from them, couldn’t help but laugh at how frugal they were.
“Tch, you have so many Points in your hands. Why not just buy something from the food counter? If you don’t eat enough, you’ll have no strength!”
As he spoke, Wang Qiang stuffed another piece of pork trotter into his mouth, grease dripping everywhere.
Jiang Li noticed that Wang Qiang had grown two furry, pointed ears.
His nose had become sharper too.
He looked very much like… a fox.
Xia Xiaoqiang chimed in from the side: “We’re all going to sleep at night. What do we need so much strength for?”
Wang Qiang was stunned for half a second, then grinned. “Oh, right, right! We’re all going to sleep. I just meant… uh, it’s uncomfortable to be hungry!”
Jiang Li saw through all of Wang Qiang’s little schemes.
Now that Wang Qiang was full, it was obvious he was making plans for the night.
And maybe… his target was them!
This Wang Qiang could not be underestimated.
Jiang Li’s thoughts were interrupted by the two loaves of bread placed in front of her.
“I don’t like bread. My family forced it on me. Want some? Just help me get rid of it, would you?”
Liang Jie’s eyes crinkled with a friendly smile.
He pushed the two refined wheat breads in front of Jiang Li and Xia Xiaoqiang.
Xia Xiaoqiang glanced at Jiang Li but didn’t take it.
“What, afraid I’ll poison you?” Liang Jie chuckled lightly.
If he poisoned them, it would be convenient-he could just take Jiang Li and Xia Xiaoqiang’s Points.
Seeing Jiang Li’s suspicious gaze, Liang Jie felt a bit uneasy.
He thought for a moment, took out a disposable glove from his bag, put it on, tore open the bread bag, ripped off a small piece, and stuffed it into his mouth.
“So gross…” Liang Jie pulled a pained face. “Seriously, you guys eat it. Just help me out.”
Liang Jie looked like a picky eater.
Seeing Liang Jie eat it himself, Jiang Li stopped hesitating.
“Thanks.”
Jiang Li picked up the bread and stuffed it into her mouth in big bites.
Refusing at a time like this would be truly foolish.
Now, in the entire Carriage, aside from Jiang Li and Xia Xiaoqiang, the rest were all men.
If someone wanted to kill, they’d definitely start with the seemingly weaker women!
So tonight, there was still a tough battle to fight…